sshe pg 300 concept

[tinhat]

Hey all -

On pg 300 (river quiz question #2 explanation) next-to-last paragraph Ed says "Checking allows your opponents to value bet..." and says this is an important concept. Would someone please explain this next-to-last paragraph - I don't understand (or recognize) the concept he's talking about.

Mike

[gharp]

I think this goes to the idea that's mentioned earlier in SSHE: against people who will call down with anything, you need to bet for value on the river if you have something decent.

If you bet, it's likely that people with crappier junk will call. If you just check, the people with crappier junk will check it through, but the people with decent hands will bet (and you will be obliged to call, to catch a bluff). So betting costs you the same amount of money as calling, but you gain money when those calling stations show down their bottom pairs.

[tinhat]

Ok, I get it.

I think I got lost in competing thoughts initially. I was thinking he offered checking as an alternative to a bet but actually (if I read it right now) he is essentially warning against checking here, and explaining why...

[Fantam]

The point which I think they are trying to make in SSHE is this:

If you are behind on the river, when you have a mediocre hand like middle pair and check, then a player with a hand like top pair or better will bet anyway and you will be forced to call for the size of the pot. (you cant afford to fold to a possible bluff, when the pot is big.)

If however, you bet the river when you are behind with your mediocre hand, then your opponents will usually only call with a slightly better hand, and you will only lose the same amount as if you had checked and called. (I think there is an assumption that you can safely fold to a check-raise.)

Howver, those times that you are ahead with your mediocre hand and check on the river, then the players with weaker hands like bottom pair or A high will also check (this is the free showdown, which they are getting) and you will not get an extra bet from them.

However, if you bet the river with your mediocre hand and are ahead, then you will gain these extra bets from your opponents.

So to summarise, betting the river should not cost you any more than checking and calling, when you are behind and dont have the best hand.

But, when you do have the best hand, then betting the river should gain you extra bets from your opponents, which you would have missed from checking and calling.

I hope this helps to clarify the situation. /images/graemlins/smile.gif